Are laxatives really so bad?

[Earthflower]

So fed up! I seemed to have cracked it with ibs c a couple of months ago. I thought peppermint oil capsules were a god send and i have been normal in that time till the last 2 weeks where i have slowed down with 'going' again and bloated up badly. It seems something works for a bit then stops. Don't know what to do. Should i turn to laxatives again? Are laxatives really so bad when 'going' is so rare? Thoughts?

[Hidden]

Good information on link below.

nhs.uk/conditions/laxatives/

I never take laxatives, always keep to natural solutions. Far better for the system in the long run. I would worry about turning to laxatives as a quick fix, when the real problem is not being tackled.

You need to reconsider your diet. Have a look on line at natural laxatives, like chia seed, olive oil, prunes, etc etc. Important to drink plenty of water too.

I have discovered that organic tomato juice is absolutely great for me, but I never buy one full of added sugar and salt. Usually get James White.

[Earthflower in reply to Hidden]

I think your advice with natural food stuffs is worth a shot. Thanks for helping

[gurgleguts]

I’m pretty much the same as you. No pattern to it and it’s hard to work out when C will strike. I’ve found milled flaxseed can help. It’s natural and very good for you as it has omega 3 among others. Psyllium husk is good too but flaxseed is better nutrition wise. Drink lots of water though. Blend it into milk with a banana and some raspberries is a good way of taking it but you can just add it to food. Also try magnesium citrate for a couple of weeks. I’ve found that can work but my body seems to “get used to it” if that makes sense so not for long term use and it can be tough on the kidneys too. Best of luck.

[Earthflower in reply to gurgleguts]

Yes i may try flaxseeds. Thank you for taking time to help

[Fedup25]

Peter Whorwell who wrote 'take control of your IBS', and is a leading gastroenterologist who specialises in IBS, suggests taking laxatives daily if they help. He suggests that it's best to find a dose that suits you and to take them daily rather than have a big 'clear out' once in a while. See what works for you.

[weymouth321]

Silicogel is good - Boots , Tesco and Amazon U.K. sell it in bottle ( blue and white box )

Amazon U.K. also sell it in satchet form

Look at Mysupermarket for cheapest price.

Hope this helps

[Earthflower in reply to weymouth321]

I have looked at silicogel in boots and wondered if i should try it. I suppose i get fed up with spending money when things don't work though. Thanks for response. I do appreciate it

[stevon00790]

No they are not iam using them for 10 years and they are only helping nothing else forget all scary stories about all laxatives even the stimulant ones .

[banannas]

As someone with chronic constipation, believe me you have to be careful with laxatives. Which, of course, is easy to say but harder to do when you can't have bowel movements. What I've learned from many years is this; stimulating laxatives will cause dependency and immunity after a while and with an already dysfunctional colon (if this is the case for you) you don't want that. What people use daily are stool softeners and other things like that. And like you say, it is so common for any solution to stop working after a while once your body gets used to it, it happens to all of us chronic constipation people. Which sucks, it can be hell. However!! Natural doesn't mean safe and I'm not just saying this, believe me I love natural foods and medicine and make my own kombucha but with any natural supplement you decide to take over a long period of time, especially ones with "detoxing" effect can have serious impact on your body from your liver to your stomach and without a doubt cause immunity over time (one of my gastroenterologists had to take out a patients liver from drinking aloe vera too long for her constipation). Peppermint oil is accepted by doctors but no I also haven't found it to be a great cure except for some gastritis symptoms or combined with other meds. Go see a gastroenterologist, prucalopride (just recently fda approved in the US and already in Europe depending on where you live - I'm from Europe) is a really promising medicine for constipation if it's severe and chronic. You should try some others first and do some tests obviously to find the root cause, years ago I would find that enzymes helped me but that lasted only about a month as with like 30 other things I found helped.

Some people do movicol/miralax, milk of magnesia, fiber supplements etc.

What I've found helps in the long run for me is prucalopride and orlistat and good meal portions. But everyone is different.

Good luck and stay strong! 🍀

[Earthflower in reply to banannas]

I really feel you are similar to me. I will look into your recommendations. Thank you so much for taking time to message

[Slowdown]

Hi Earthflower,

I have intermittent IBS-C, it seems to strike when I've eaten steak which is only a couple of times a month, otherwise I eat lots of oily fish, yogurt, kefir and piles of green veg including kale which is high in fibre (good for some people, not for others, you'll have to experiment). If I'm out for the day I often forget to drink enough water and that certainly causes C. After a meal I have a prune (good for bones, too) and sprinkle a tbsp of milled flaxseed on salads with a couple of tbsps of olive oil.

Papaya (pawpaw) is full of papain, an enzyme that helps with protein digestion, which is very effective (and delicious when nicely ripe) - try small slices first otherwise you may have too much of a good thing! I only have it when I'm a bit sluggish .. if it gets problematic I take half a Laxido sachet and keep well hydrated.

Exercise and diet play a big part in dealing with with this condition, certain foods are bloating - for me it's white bread so I buy sliced sourdough, freeze it, and when I really need some toast (I'm on a low carb diet) it's not only delicious but freezing has changed the structure of starch from 'bad' to 'good' in that it is beneficial to your gut bacteria. No bloating, for me, with that. Also big meals are a no-no ... smaller plates and therefore smaller portions helps. Hope you find something that works for you. Sorry this is a bit long!

[Earthflower in reply to Slowdown]

Please don't say sorry for a nice long message. I welcome feedback and thank you so much for the advice

[SlowT1]

I would try and avoid laxitives like Senna if you can. I have slow transit and have taken Senna and various other laxitives for nearly 5 years. I now have much more pain and bloating that I did 5 years ago.

Things I wish I’d known sooner:

1. Eat when you wake up and have a caffeinated drink. 30 mins later sit on the loo - this helps to retrain your bowel

2. Exercise - brisk walks / jogging

3. Prunes / dates / sweet potato

4. Apple cider vinegar

5. Magnesium

Xx

[Lulububs]

Well i have ibs c to and i find that keeping my gut bacteria healthy is only way to GO every day. As soon as i have a couple days where il not watch my food or drink alcohol or eat junk or dont take my supplements thats it im constipated.

I take a good probiotic. Digestive enzyme, pepp oil caps, Some live yoghurt. Loadsa fruit and veg and main one is water... about 2 litres through day and im regular... it like a constant up keep but it works.

It really is that simple .. if for any reason i dont go for one day i leave it but if i dont go again day after that i then hit the lactulose solution... as being backed up is worse

[fusspot1]

I take a laxative every day + have done for five years. No big deal+it works! Medical people ok with it too

If I get a (luckily fairly rare) diarrea (spelling?) I cut that nights dose down. Good luck!